Should I buy a Swiss Pass in addition to a Eurail Pass?

Posted by m-allsopp on 12/01/24 03:05 AM

Hello. Thanks in advance for all advice!!

Travelling from Perth WA through Europe in July 2025.

London (5nights)
Paris (4 nights)
Colmar (2 nights)
Lauterbrunnen (5 nights)
Zurich (1 night)
Legoland (via Stuttgart + hire car) 1 night
Bad Urach (3 nights)
Zurich (1 night)

Losing my mind trying to work out trains! Should I just get a 22 day consecutive Eurail pass and just use that? Or a flexi Eurail pass and a 3 day Swiss pass to use in the Lauterbrunnen region?? Getting both is considerably more expensive!!

Thanks again!

Posted by Sam

Green Bay

12/01/24 03:53 AM

21210 posts

A Swiss Travel Pass is not any more useful than a Eurail Pass in Lauterbrunnen. With either one, you still only get discounts on mountain railways and lifts above Wengen or Muerren. So keep it simple and just go with the 22 day Eurail Pass. Plus the fact that the Swiss Travel Pass is very expensive.

Up until recently, the Eurail Pass only gave discounts between Interlaken Ost and Muerren, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, and Grindelwald, but I understand they are now included.

Considering you will need purchased seat reservations for London to Paris and Paris to Colmar, you might think about a 15-day pass and buying advance, nonrefundable tickets for those trips as tickets will include the seat reservations.

Posted by Wes

Santa Monica

12/01/24 05:22 AM

6 posts

Just a note if you are considering a Eurail pass, they are currently running a 25% off sale up to mid-december.

Posted by Sasha

Bainbridge Island

12/01/24 05:40 AM

3297 posts

I am no expert, so I hope others will weigh in, but I think a 22-day pass would be a waste of money. It won’t help with local transport ( London Tube and Paris Metro) on London and Paris, so that is 9 days it is useless. It would cover the Eurostar from London to Paris, but you still need to pay for seat reservations. A regular ticket bought 5-6 months ahead costs around $68 so not much.

The eurail pass could cover sparks to colmar snd there to Lauterbrunnen, but if you want to ride the lifts and cable cars while there you would be better off either way a Berner Oberland pass then to Stuttgart Burt you will rent a car in Germany to visit Legoland. Stuttgart to Bad uracil is only €12.20 so not worth covering with a Eurail pass.

Basically I think you are better off either way a PtO tickets plus a Berner Oberland pass, which covers travel from Bern on south to the BO region. But maybe I am missing something. And others may say different.

Posted by WengenK

Wengen

12/01/24 07:11 AM

2513 posts

My suggestion would be to not get an Eurail Pass at all. Just book your London Paris and Paris - Colmar tickets in advance on www.sncf-connect.com.
Get the Half Fare Card for Switzerland, and just buy tickets as you go.

There is no need to put Zurich in between Lauterbrunnen and Stuttgart. You also do not need a rental car to get there. Just spend a night more in Legoland (so you actually get to spend a day there). You can book a ticket Lauterbrunnen - Legoland Feriendorf on www.bahn.de. (And you can add that you have the Swiss Half Fare Card if you plan on getting one).

Or is your plan to get a rental car for both Legoland and Bad Urach?